I think this would be really cool, you could spawn in roid sectors and be told to mine and bring the ores back to the queens. Maybe you would start out as a dentek and be able to be others later on?

-1 cool idea. But that would mean a entirely different server, different coding, and all together changes to the entirety of the hive, how they see players, and etc. Let's leave the devs to the current server and let them focus more on VO before stuff like this is even discussed.

I've thought of the Hive being an actual faction. +1

I've thought of being able to manu ships solely from Hive components that fool the Hive into thinking you are one of them. This would allow you to trade and mine without Hive interference.

If you attacked them, your ship would be swarmed and no longer seen as part of the Hive.

The downside would be that you appear to be a Hive ship to other players and no faction repercussions would come from your death. The caveat would be that players might use these ships to attack other players and bypass the same faction loss.... So, maybe something that excludes their use from nation spaces, or makes them visible as player ships in nation spaces, or...?

I do like Buster's suggestion of the Hive as a faction. That would be interesting, though I can't imagine playing this game in a manner which avoids botting.

Was suggested before
https://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/24919

Oh

why not. shoot them instead?